Snowy Morning and Safe Travel | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: On a snowy morning, two adults discuss icy sidewalks, safer shoes, and possible bus delays before leaving..

EN → JA / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Snowy Morning and Safe Travel to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

夜の間にたくさん雪が降りました。

yoh-roo noh EYE-dah nee tah-KAH-sahn YOO-kee gah foo-ree-mah-SHEE-tah It snowed a lot during the night.
B

今朝は歩道が凍っているかもしれません。

keh-SAH wah hoh-DOH gah KOHT-teh EE-roo kah-moh-shee-reh-mah-SEN The sidewalks may be icy this morning.
A

それなら、滑りにくいブーツを履いたほうがいいですね。

soh-reh-NAH-rah, soo-beh-ree-nee-KOO-ee BOO-tsoo oh HIGH-tah hoh-GAH EE dess neh Then I should wear boots with better grip.
B

それに、いつもより注意して歩いたほうがいいです。

soh-reh nee, ee-tsoo-moh YOH-ree CHOO-ee-shee-teh ah-roo-ee-tah hoh-GAH EE dess You should also walk more carefully than usual.
A

バスは遅れると思いますか。

bah-soo wah oh-koo-REH-roo toh oh-moh-ee-mahss kah Do you think buses will be delayed?
B

たぶん、雪の日は車の流れが遅いからです。

tah-BOON, YOO-kee noh hee wah koo-roo-mah noh nah-gah-reh gah oh-SOH-ee kah-rah dess Probably, because traffic moves slowly in snow.
A

出かける前に、交通アプリを確認しますね。

deh-kah-KEH-roo MY-eh nee, KOH-tsoo AH-poo-ree oh kah-koo-NEEN shee-mahss neh Let me check the transport app before leaving.
B

それで時間を節約できるかもしれません。

soh-reh-deh JEE-kahn oh seh-tsoo-YAH-koo deh-KEE-roo kah-moh-shee-reh-mah-SEN That may save you time.

Word by Word

夜 夜 means “night” in 夜の間に, referring to the nighttime period when the snow fell. It is used with の to connect it to another time expression, as in 夜の間.
の の links 夜 and 間 in 夜の間に, making the phrase mean “during the night.” It commonly connects one noun to another to show a relationship such as “of” or “during.”
間 間 means a period or interval in 夜の間に, the period during which it snowed. It can follow a time expression to describe an ongoing span.
に に marks the time when the snow fell in 夜の間に, meaning “during the night.” It commonly follows a time expression to show when an event happens.
たくさん たくさん means “a lot” here and shows that a large amount of snow fell in たくさん雪が降りました. It is placed before the thing or action whose amount is being described.
雪 雪 means “snow” in 雪が降りました. It is the thing that falls in this weather description and can be marked by が in this pattern.
が が marks 雪 as the thing that fell in 雪が降りました. This particle commonly identifies what happens or what is present in a sentence.
降りました 降りました means “fell” here, specifically describing snow falling politely in 雪が降りました. It is the polite past form of 降る and is used to report completed weather events.
今朝 今朝 means “this morning” in 今朝は, setting the time for the condition being discussed. It can be followed by は when that time is the topic.
は は marks 今朝 as the topic in 今朝は歩道が凍っているかもしれません. It presents the morning as the time frame for the statement.
歩道 歩道 means “sidewalk” in 歩道が凍っているかもしれません. It is the place whose condition is uncertain here and is marked by が.
凍って 凍って describes the sidewalk as frozen in 凍っている. It is the linking form that connects the frozen condition to いる, and it can be reused in a pattern such as 凍っている.
いる いる in 凍っている shows that the frozen condition is present or continues. Together with 凍って, it describes the sidewalk’s current state rather than a separate action.
かもしれません かもしれません expresses polite possibility in 凍っているかもしれません, meaning that the sidewalks may be icy. かも introduces the possibility, and しれません completes this polite possibility expression; it is useful when the speaker is not certain.
それ それ refers back to the situation just mentioned in それなら, namely the possibility that the sidewalks are icy. It points to that information or situation when introducing the next decision.
なら なら means “if that is the case” or “then” in それなら. It uses the preceding situation as the basis for the advice that follows.
滑りにくい 滑りにくい means “hard to slip” or “slip-resistant” in 滑りにくいブーツ. The form describes a quality of the boots and is placed before the noun it modifies.
ブーツ ブーツ means “boots” in ブーツを履いたほうがいい. It is the footwear being recommended, and it is marked by を when it is worn.
を を marks ブーツ as the object of wearing in ブーツを履いたほうがいい. It commonly follows the thing that someone puts on or uses in an action.
履いた 履いた is the form used before ほうがいい in 履いたほうがいい to recommend wearing the boots. The dictionary form is 履く, and 履いた is the form used in this advice pattern.
ほうがいい ほうがいい expresses that one choice is better and therefore recommends it in 履いたほうがいい. In this construction, ほう presents the better option, が marks it, and いい describes it as good; the full pattern is used to give practical advice.
です です makes the advice in ほうがいいですね polite. It gives the statement a polite ending when speaking to another adult.
ね ね softens the statement in ほうがいいですね and invites agreement or shared understanding. It is useful when offering advice in a friendly, non-forceful way.
いつも いつも means “usually” or “as usual” in いつもより. It provides the normal situation used as the basis for comparison.
より より marks the comparison point in いつもより, meaning “than usual.” It follows what the current situation is being compared with.
注意 注意 means care or caution in 注意して歩いたほうがいい. It names the careful attention that the speaker recommends taking while walking.
して して links 注意 to the walking action in 注意して歩いたほうがいい, giving the sense of walking while taking care. It connects an action or state to the next action, as in 注意して歩いた.
歩いた 歩いた is the form used before ほうがいい in 歩いたほうがいい to recommend walking carefully. The dictionary form is 歩く, and this form participates in the advice pattern here.
バス バス means “bus” in バスは遅れると思いますか. It is the subject being discussed as possibly delayed and is marked as the topic by は.
遅れる 遅れる means “be delayed” or “be late” in バスは遅れると思いますか. This form describes a possible upcoming delay and can be used after a subject such as バス.
と と marks the thought or content in 遅れると思いますか, connecting the possibility of delay to 思います. It is commonly used when asking or stating what someone thinks.
思います 思います means “think” in 遅れると思いますか. With か, it asks whether the listener thinks the buses will be delayed.
か か marks 遅れると思いますか as a question. It turns the statement about what someone thinks into a polite question.
たぶん たぶん means “probably” in たぶん、雪の日は車の流れが遅いからです. It signals that the explanation is likely but not completely certain and is placed at the beginning of the reply.
日 日 means “day” in 雪の日, the expression for “a snowy day” or “a day with snow.” It follows 雪の to form a time or situation expression.
車 車 means “car” or “vehicle” in 車の流れ. Here it refers to the vehicles whose movement becomes slow in snow.
流れ 流れ means “flow” or “movement” in 車の流れ, referring to the movement of traffic. It follows 車の to describe how the vehicles move as a group.
遅い 遅い means “slow” in 車の流れが遅い. It describes the traffic movement and is used after the thing whose speed or pace is being described.
から から means “because” at the end of 車の流れが遅いからです. It gives the reason for the likely bus delay and is followed by です for a polite explanation.
出かける 出かける means “go out” or “leave” in 出かける前に. It identifies the activity that has not happened yet and is used with 前に to mean “before going out.”
前 前 means “before” in 出かける前に. Combined with the preceding action, it marks the time before leaving, and に marks when the checking will happen.
交通 交通 means “transportation” in 交通アプリ. It specifies that the app is related to transport information, especially useful before leaving.
アプリ アプリ means “app” in 交通アプリを確認しますね. It is the digital tool the speaker plans to check, and it is followed by を as the object of checking.
確認 確認 means “check” or “confirmation” in 交通アプリを確認しますね. It names the action of checking the transport app, and the full pattern shows what is being checked.
します します means “do” or “carry out” politely in 交通アプリを確認しますね. Here it completes the action of checking and presents the speaker’s intention politely.
で で in それで means “with that” or “by doing that,” referring to checking the transport app. It connects that action with the possible result of saving time.
時間 時間 means “time” in 時間を節約できるかもしれません. It is the thing that may be saved, so it is marked by を.
節約 節約 means “saving” or “conserving” in 時間を節約できるかもしれません. It describes reducing the amount of time used, and it combines with できる to express that this may be possible.
できる できる means “can” or “be able to” in 時間を節約できるかもしれません. It shows that saving time is a possible result of checking the transport app.

Grammar Points

〜かもしれません

歩道は凍っているかもしれません。

hoh-DOH wah KOHT-teh EE-roo kah-moh-shee-reh-mah-SEN

The sidewalk may be icy.

かもしれません expresses possibility and follows the plain form of a verb or adjective.

〜たほうがいい

ブーツを履いたほうがいいです。

BOO-tsoo oh HIGH-tah hoh-GAH EE dess

You should wear boots.

Use the past form before ほうがいい to give advice about what is better to do.

Japanese Vocabulary

かもしれません phrase
kah-moh-shee-reh-mah-SEN may; might
それなら conj
soh-reh-NAH-rah then; if that is the case
ブーツ noun
BOO-tsoo boots
ほうがいい phrase
hoh-GAH EE should; it is better to
滑りにくい adj
soo-beh-ree-nee-KOO-ee less likely to slip
降る verb
FOO-roo to snow; to fall 降りました
今朝 noun
keh-SAH this morning
雪 noun
YOO-kee snow

雪が降りました

凍る verb
KOH-oh-roo to freeze; to be icy 凍っている
歩道 noun
hoh-DOH sidewalk
夜の間 phrase
yoh-roo noh EYE-dah during the night
履く verb
hah-koo to wear; to put on footwear 履いた

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

less likely to slip

Show Answer滑りにくい

then; if that is the case

Show Answerそれなら

to snow; to fall

Show Answer降りました

to freeze; to be icy

Show Answer凍っている